Treat
by I Dream of Scotty
Summary: Lilly is feeling down so Scotty decides to cheer her up. A little Halloween one-shot.


A/N: A little one-shot of a moment between Lilly and Scotty. Something short and sweet for Halloween

**Disclaimer: I don't own Cold Case.**

Scotty Valens stared at the file that lay before him on his desk. They had just closed another case and both he and Lilly Rush were tying up the dreaded paperwork. He was doing his best to concentrate on the work but he found himself getting distracted by Lilly's melancholic demeanor. He would look in her direction every so often and would smile at her when she caught him staring. She would smile back but he noticed that the smile never quite reached her eyes. She was upset over something but he wasn't sure what. They had been working into the evening and Scotty decided they needed a break. "Hey Lil, you wanna come get some coffee?" he asked as he walked towards her.

Lilly looked up at him and shook her head, "No, thank you, but I've got to get through all this."

He put his arm gently on her shoulder, "You need a break Lil." She sighed, relenting and stood up to go to the break room but Scotty stopped her.

"No, I'm not drinking any more of that poison, how about we go get some real coffee?" he suggested.

The thought of a triple Americano made her smile. "Okay, I could use some caffeine."

They took the elevator down to the main entrance and began to walk towards a nearby coffee shop. Scotty used the moment alone with her to try to ascertain what had gotten her so down. "Everything okay Lil? You've been kinda quiet all day."

"Yeah, everything's fine." She replied. Scotty had expected that response, typical Lilly, always with that stoic mask firmly in place.

It was a chilly Halloween evening and Scotty noticed his partner shiver slightly. "Here," he said as he offered her his coat.

Lilly smiled, "Thanks, I should have brought mine."

Scotty frowned, "You've been kinda distracted lately. Lil, if there's anything wrong…"

"Scotty, really, I'm fine." She tried to assure him but he wasn't buying it.

They continued their short walk in silence and once they reached the coffee shop they entered and sat down in a small booth. Scotty ordered some coffee for each of them. "Feels good to get outta there for a while," Scotty began, "I was startin' to get a headache staring at those forms."

Lilly laughed, "Yeah I know what you mean."

"That's the worst part of the job for me. I like being out there, on the street, I feel like I'm actually doin' something. You know?"

Lilly nodded but suddenly grew quiet again.

"Lil? You okay? There's somethin' botherin' you. I know there is. I'm your partner, you can trust me."

Lilly sighed, "You ever wonder how it would feel? You know, dying alone like Francesca did?"

"You mean the cold job we just closed?" he asked.

"Yeah. She had everything Scotty. Money, power, a good job, a family who loved her and yet, she died alone."

"Sometimes." Scotty admitted. "You know, I try not to think about that too much. The way I see it, life's too short to think about what could happen. You spend all your time worrying about stuff that like that until one day you realise your whole life has passed you by."

Lilly listened to what he was saying as the coffees arrived.

"Now me, I like to live in the moment." Lilly smiled, sipping her coffee. "I'm serious Lil!"

"Oh I know you are. Charlene in Tennessee was proof of that."

Scotty laughed, "yeah..well…" he listened as Lilly giggled, feeling himself relax at the sound. "look, all I'm sayin' is that you got to let go and live a little. Come on, I bet there's a thousand things you could be doin' if you didn't spend all your time thinkin' 'bout the job!"

"Well, now that you come to mention it, I kinda always wanted to jump out of a plane."

Scotty raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah. Had a boyfriend who did that. The way he described the rush of adrenaline as he was falling..."

Scotty grinned, "Well who would have thought it; Lilly Rush is an adrenaline junkie!" They both laughed.

"Well, you know...I've always wanted to eat a whole chocolate cake by myself!"

"You serious?" he asked.

"Yes!" she replied.

"Oh I would love to see that!" Scotty said. A thought occurred to him then. "You know, it says here they're doing a special Halloween discount on the chocolate fudge cake. You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"What, now?" Lilly asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Come on, it's my treat." Scotty called the waitress over.

"Scotty...I don't know…"

"What's the matter Lil? You're not chickening out on me are ya?"

Lilly raised her eyebrows. "Oh, it's on now!"

Scotty laughed as he ordered the dessert and in a couple of minutes the waitress brought it to the table. Lilly picked up her fork and cut a piece of the cake. She smiled as Scotty watched her take a mouthful of the chocolatey goodness. "Mmm this is good!" she said. "Can't remember the last time I had chocolate cake!"

"See, live a little!" Scotty said.

By the time she had eaten her fourth piece Lilly was beginning to feel very full. "Scotty…" she began, "I think I need a little help here!"

Scotty asked the waitress for another fork and when she brought it over, he began to eat the cake, laughing in between bites as Lilly watched him while she held her stomach. He had managed six pieces before deciding to stop "It's so rich! I can't take another bite!" The two of them burst into laughter as they each sat hunched over the table. "I think we should take the rest to go!" He said and Lilly nodded.

They paid the bill and they walked out of the coffee shop, each carrying a doggy bag full of cake. "How are we going to focus on work now! I just want to sleep!" Lilly said.

Scotty smiled, "Maybe we should get some coffee?"

Lilly giggled, "Thank you Scotty. That was just what I needed."

Scotty put his arm around her as they walked back to PPD Central. "Anytime partner, anytime."


End file.
